The Jewish Press
Different narratives
ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT
Jewish Press Editor
There were three parts to Scott Littky’s recent travels. Scott is the Executive Director of the Institute for Holocaust Education, and life brought him to a conference in Jerusalem, a visit to Poland with a group of Creighton Law
Film Festival takes place on four consecutive nights, Oct. 27-30 in the Alan J. Levine Performing Arts Theater within the Staenberg Omaha JCC. All shows will begin at 6 p.m. With the input from community members we have reviewed 114 offerings throughout the past year from six different film distributors to select four films that offer variety, humor, drama, and a documentary relevant to today’s social environment.
Last year we enjoyed having community members serve as hosts for See Jewish Film Festival page 3
students, and his and his wife Felicia’s daughter’s wedding in Israel. It’s a lot to process, especially since the first stop, the 11th International Conference for Educators– Holocaust Education in a Global context, took place at Yad Vashem.
“Ms. Michael Cotler Wunsh is Israel’s special envoy for combating antisemitism,” Scott said. “In her talk she stated See Different narratives page 2
ANNETTE VAN DE KAMPWRIGHT
Jewish Press Editor
Next month, we will mark one year since Israelis suffered the most brutal attack since the Holocaust.
In addition to the 1,200 who were murdered that day, Hamas took more than 240 hostages. More than 60 hostages, as well as the bodies of 35 others, are still in Gaza.
Monday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m., our community will come together in the Alan J. Levine Performing Arts
Theater to remember that one year has passed. We will gather as a community to reaffirm our sense of self, to create space for belonging, and to be unified.
“Please join with us as our community commemorates the horrific attacks in Israel that changed our world forever,” JFO Board Chair Nancy Schlessinger said. “Together, we will remember the lives lost, pray for those still in captivity, honor the survivors and unite in communal resilience.” See Remember together page 3
OMAHA
Different narratives
Continued from page 1 that Israel did not come into being as a result of the Holocaust, but it is as a result of the Holocaust that we need Israel. That was incredibly valuable to hear.”
Conference attendees dove into what it means to have a duty to collect survivors’ memories, but also discussed the importance of using primary resources, for example, the Oneg Shabbat Archive, which is a firsthand account of life in the Warsaw Ghetto.
Remah synagogue and the old Jewish cemetery very interesting. That cemetery was established in 1535. We learned about Rabbi Moses Isserles( known as ReMa) and about his works, which were a complement to Shulchan Aruch.”
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“Our obligation as educators,” Scott added, “is to bear witness and hold those who committed the crimes of the Holocaust responsible.” Yet, simultaneously, said educators can’t avoid looking at the world today. “The dynamic has changed since October 7,” he said. “We have to realize that antizionism IS antisemitism.”
Scott is a Yad Vashemtrained educator and has had many opportunities to study there in the past. Yet, there is always something new: “The new archive center is a realization of the need to store and study the physical evidence of the Holocaust and to make sure it will remain available in the future,” he said.
There are other ways in which the October 7 massacre changed the way the educators approached the topics in front of them. The realization that the events of October 7 were the single worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust has been added to the narrative, and it emphasizes the importance of Holocaust education.
“The pain of the Holocaust is still very real,” Scott said, “and it will always be there. It is important to always know whose story we are telling. We have to ask ourselves who owns those stories, who will own them in the future? And when we say ‘never again,’ what exactly does it mean? It may mean something different in the diaspora than in Israel. How do we understand the different narratives? Nothing about this is black and white, and there are no simple answers.”
At the conclusion of the conference, Scott traveled to Kfar Saba to visit his son-in-law’s family. He worked remotely and had the opportunity to have interesting conversations:
“I continued to notice resilience,” he said. “Reminders of the hostages are everywhere, and the people of Israel have been both traumatized and united. I visited an exhibit in Tel Aviv with works by young artists. They were all created since Oct. 7. It was very moving and emotional.”
And then he took a plane to Krakow, Poland. It was his third time joining Creighton Law School’s N2H program which brings law students to Europe. In 2012, the School of Law began offering a program for students to learn firsthand about the Holocaust and the world court that emerged in its wake. ‘From Nuremberg to The Hague’ combines in-class instruction with immersion trips to the Bavarian city that hosted the 1946 Nazi war crimes trials as well as The Hague’s International Criminal Court.
“I’m always blown away by how beautiful Krakow is, how old, and rich with history,” Scott said. “Every time I go there, I learn and see examples of a rich Jewish history that was thriving before the Holocaust and completely destroyed. I learn something new each time. This time I found the visit to the
Remember together
Continued from page 1
The evening will begin with a welcome from Nancy, as well as volunteer leaders of our congregations and partner organizations. We will hold one minute of silence, followed by a candle lighting ceremony by Idan Zaccai, who lived in Rosh Hanikra at the time of the attacks. The Jewish Federation is working to bring a survivor to share their experience with the audience. We will hear remarks and personal stories about 10/7/23 from lead clergy, Rabbis Mendel Katzman, Rabbi Ben Sharff, Rabbi Ari Dembitzer, Rabbi Steven Abraham, and Rabbi Alex Felch, as well as from our Community Shlicha Mika Mizrahi and from Lillian Cohen, UNL student and past UNL Hillel President.
We will have songs from Cantor Joanna Alexander and Haz-
But even in the Jewish section of Krakow, there were reminders of the hostages. This is not only a story about the past; it is a story about the here and now. “Everything in my head and body is different since October 7,” Scott said. “With our study in Krakow and then our visit to Auschwitz, I wanted the students to learn and understand the personal narrative. I wanted them to understand the magnitude of what was lost. There were 3.5 million Jews in Poland at the start of the Holocaust. Today there are 16.000. I also want them to learn empathy, understanding and to act as an upstander. I hope they learn from the Holocaust the importance of their role as lawyers being there for their clients. I want them to understand the role of the Righteous and their obligation to a moral code and to stand up and make a change. In Jewish terms: they need to be devoted to Tikkun Olam.
The trip includes a three-day Holocaust immersion component, with students visiting the Auschwitz concentration camp, the Jewish Quarter in Krakow, the Oskar Schindler Factory and the Jewish Heritage Museum.
“As Jews I feel that we evolve and take what the world throws at us,” Scott said, “and we grow from that experience. This was my third visit to Auschwitz. My first visit was very emotional, my second I experienced anger and now on my third visit I felt that I was much more of an educator, there to support the students in their processing of what they were seeing. Auschwitz is very much an example of the tragedy of modern Jewish history.”
A week later he would be back in Israel, celebrating his daughter’s wedding. The contrast drove home the importance and meaning of Israel to him personally and to all Jews.
“Zionism is a badge of honor,” Scott said, “and not evil. I heard it very loudly at Yad Vashem: post-Holocaust, Israel’s existence is essential. When as a young adult, our daughter told us that she was going to move to Israel, I thought, how can you raise your children to be Zionists and to love Israel and then when they tell you they want to live there – how can you be upset?”
“I was raised to love Israel and made my first trip to Israel in 1977 as a teenager. Each time I return, the country seems to have grown. When my daughter told us her wedding would be in Israel, my wife and I were very proud and knew it could not be anywhere else. The events of October 7 and life in Israel since then only reaffirmed our need to be in Israel.”
Scott is back in Omaha for the time being, but will return to Poland and Auschwitz during future summers with the N2H program. He feels it is his obligation to assist the students in bearing witness and to realize their role in making our world a better place.
“October 7 may have been a step back for us,” he said, “but it will and has to make us stronger and more devoted to both Israel and the understanding of Never Again.”
zan Michael Krausman. Esther Katz’ dance troupe, whose members traveled to Israel last year, will perform a special dance.
“We all need resilience and hope,” JFO CEO Bob Goldberg said, “and this commemoration will allow us to come together to mourn those who have lost lives, to pray for the return of the hostages, and to reaffirm our strength as mishpocha, as K’lal Yisrael.”
The event will last approximately one hour, and we ask you send your RSVP to: https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/aKEBFQ?vid= 173mhv, Jessi Taylor at 402.334.6407 or use the QR Code.
Scott and Felicia Littky
Jewish Film Festival
Continued from page 1 each of the films. They were so well received that we are continuing with the practice this year. Our hosts will be welcoming you, directing you to the free Vic’s popcorn and bottled water, introducing the film, and holding a post film discussion. Many people are excited to share their thoughts and ask questions after they have watched a great film – and we have great films. As we did last year, we will have a convenient way for all audience members to provide their reactions to the films.
HERE’S
A SNEAK PEEK AT WHAT’S COMING:
Oct. 27, Shared Legacies: The African-American Jewish Civil Rights Alliance, hosted by Marty Shukert. The 1960s were tumultuous years in U.S. history. This documentary examines the cooperative efforts of Jews and African-Americans in struggling for civil rights for all. It shows how that relationship became stressed, and in some ways remains so to this day. Oct. 28 Our (Almost Completely True) Love Story, hosted by Sarah Abrahamson. This comedy presents the story of a relationship of a beautiful, tall, aging Hollywood star and a short, funny Jewish man. Spoiler alert: they had a rocky start. Oct. 29, Running on Sand, hosted by Ilana Linthicum and Francisco Guzman Jimenez. Here we are captivated by the challenges faced by Aumari, a young Eritrean refugee living in Israel, who is about to be deported to his home country. The film is well-balanced with humor, a bit of romance, and dramatic action with serious consequences.
Oct. 30, Avenue of the Giants, a docudrama hosted by Gloria Kaslow. In this film a Holocaust survivor shares his story for the first time with a troubled young lady who shares her story with him. The telling is challenging. The outcomes not certain.
Ticket prices are a bargain for the four days. A four-entry pass is $15; an eight-entry pass is $25; or single admission at the door is $5. Use them for multiple people, multiple showings, or any combination you choose.
Mark your calendars. Follow the QR code to the webpage. Watch for additional information in the Jewish Press, E-News, special emails, Facebook, and Instagram. We want you to attend. You may direct questions
See Film Festival page 4
ROSH HASHANAH
The room where it happens
JENNIFER TOMPKINS
JFO
Executive Director of Philanthropy & Engagement
Every Monday morning at 9:30 a.m. the staff of the Philanthropy and Engagement department (including Education and Engagement, Corporate Sponsorships, Shlichim programming, and Israel partnerships and missions), plus the Marketing Director and Executive Assistant meet to strategize, plan and evaluate programming.
The room is energized with brainstorming ideas, contagious enthusiasm and good humor as we work toward our mission to build a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world.
We strategize with intention, and we kick off the year with two or three meetings that focus on current topics and challenges that support and affect the work that we do. We do a year in review, celebrate successes, and talk about what we could do differently. We focus these conversations on contributing to the overarching JFO goals, as well as our individual team goals.
During these meetings, and at every Monday meeting thereafter, we ask the tough questions that the professionals and volunteers before us asked... Why is it important to engage our community? How do we connect Jews in their 20s, 30s and 40s
to our community and to each other? What is important to young Jewish families? What programming are those ages 55+ seeking? What is the best way to bring Israel to us and us to Israel? How can we educate and encourage learning?
We are grateful for those of you who paved the way before us – those who engaged our community, planned programs and missions, asked for Annual Campaign gifts, gave gifts yourselves, and fundraised for capital campaigns. We value all of you who come back and volunteer for campaigns and other important projects that impact our community. You consistently offer your help and guidance, and you are generous with your support.
Thank you to all who have said YES – to chairing an event, to asking donors for a gift, to planning an event or program, to volunteering for our mission. Thank you to those who have called or e-mailed us to give feedback, opinions, encouragement, ideas, and evaluations of things we have done. We are grateful to serve our family, friends and community. We are appreciative of you and the community we are building together.
The Benjamin and Anna E. Wiesman Family Reception Room is The room where it happens. We can’t wait for our next meeting to plan for you!
Front row: Jenn Tompkins, Mika Mizrahi, Jessi Taylor, Mark Kirchhoff; middle row: Rachel Ring, Kellee LaSure, Margie Utesch, Naomi Fox, Heidi Heilbrunn Needleman; back row: Jay Katelman, Margo Parsow, and Stacy Feldman.
HEIDI HEILBRUNN NEEDLEMAN
JFO Assistant Director of Engagement & Education
PJ Library, the organization that sends no-cost Jewishthemed books to families, is excited to host two local familyfriendly events in September.
Rosh Hashanah Ready is a new and engaging program for Jewish families with young children on Sept. 15 from 10 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.
Friedel Jewish Academy and PJ Library have joined together again to provide an immersive hands-on experience.
sors: The Chesed Fund; Foundation IMPACT Grant; Milton S. & Corinne N. Livingston Foundation Fund; and the Morton A Richards Youth Program Fund
At the end of September, PJ Library families are sprouting up at the farm. Parents and grandparents in the Jewish community will gather with their children at Nelson Produce Farm on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 2 p.m. for the kick-off of PJ Library’s Taste of Jewish Omaha. The first 20 people to register will get free entrance into the farm.
An ideal opportunity to familiarize children under five with High Holiday traditions before Rosh Hashanah, families can participate in a Jewish holiday toy sorting activity, squish a “honey” sensory bag and make apple prints. A take and bake station where kids can make a mini-round challah as well as a dedicated reading area with a selection of Rosh Hashanahthemed books will also be available to families. Please register by visiting igfn.us/form/VqVrvQ or through our Facebook event.
Students of the Pennie Z. Davis ELC and Friedel Jewish Academy, as well as grandparents are all welcome to attend.
Rosh Hashanah Ready is possible due to our generous spon-
JEWISH PRESS READERS
The series is the first of several food-related events for families with young children, intended to foster a love of Jewish traditional foods, while connecting with our community. While families will enjoy picking fresh produce, hayrack rides and all the farm has to offer, PJ Library is excited expand on the programming planned over the next nine months. The Taste of Omaha series is made possible by the PJ Library Engagement Grant for Implementing Partners with additional fundng from The Chesed Fund, the Morton A. Richards Youth Program Fun and Foundation IMPACT Grant of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.
Registration is preferred: igfn.us/form/zWXsnQ (link is also available through our Facebook event.)
If you do business with any of our advertisers, please tell them you saw their ad in the Jewish Press It really helps us!
The wedding ceremony of Rebecca Ross and Shir Tirosh
My daughter Rebecca Ross married Shir Tirosh on Wednesday night August 14 at a Tel Aviv wedding hall. Several months before their big day, the girls contacted an organization called Havaya: Israeli Life-Cycle Ceremonies. Havaya (which means “existence” or “experience”) allows secular Israelis to suffuse their life-cycle ceremonies with Jewish tradition. The girls met several times with Mr. David Haim Saidov III of Havaya to learn about Judaism’s traditional teachings on marriage, and together they crafted a wedding ceremony that was meaningful for them. David conducted the ceremony. Both he and in turn Rebecca referred to Israel’s ongoing war, with Rebecca later saying: “What is here tonight is not only something personal but it is another small victory for our crazy people. Of course, we wish for better and saner days, and for everyone, really everyone, to return home safely.”
The ceremony’s structure, beginning with the “engagement” blessing, followed that of the traditional Jewish wedding See Teddy Weinberger page 6
Film Festival
Continued from page 3 to Mark Kirchhoff, 402.334.6463 or mkirchhoff@jewish omaha.org
The festival is generously supported by the following Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation Funds: Ruth Frisch & Oscar S. Belzer Endowment Fund; the Kenneth Ray Tretiak Memorial Fund; the Foundation IMPACT Grant; the Special Donor Advised Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation and the Klutznik Creighton Custodial Fund.
GENERAL ELECTION
The Kaplan Book Group is “Queen” for the Day
SHIRLY BANNER
JFO Library Specialist
On Sept. 19 at 1 p.m. the Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group will gather for their monthly meeting. Group members have the choice of meeting either in person in the Benjamin & Anna Wiesman Reception Room in the Staenberg Jewish Community Center, or via Zoom. This month they will discuss Queen for a Day by Maxine Rosaler.
Queen for a Day presents a comprehensive narrative of the trials and tribulations of raising an autistic child from pre- to post-diagnosis. Maxine Rosaler draws upon her experiences as a mother of an autistic son to emphasize the many challenges faced by parents in raising their autistic children.
Mimi and Jake Slavitt had a love-hate relationship that began when they first dated. The strife continued into their marriage, but they never let it stand in the way of doing what was best for their son Danny. By the time Danny reached the age of 3, Mimi and Jake were forced to face the fact that Danny’s strange behaviors and developmental issues were not “normal”. They began seeing therapist Stan Shapiro, who concluded that Danny’s problems stemmed from Mimi and Jake and that Danny “didn’t have anything you could pin a label on.”
As Danny’s behavior worsened and his inability to connect with others increased, Mimi finally had Danny tested. It was
then Danny received an autism diagnosis. A complicated and complex search for numerous treatments, theories, and programs to help Danny cope with his condition began. They quickly learned that everyone had a belief of what would be the ultimate cure for autism, but it became apparent that there was no one answer. Time, patience, and love were the common elements for all approaches. As readers, we are witnesses to the frustration that is rampant in finding success with an autistic child.
As Mimi dealt with finding the best way to help Danny educationally, we are left to wonder whether the bureaucracy of our educational system is helping or hurting those with different needs. Are we constantly trying to fit square pegs into round holes as a solution?
As readers we see how there are many people who take advantage of the vulnerability these parents possess in searching for answers. Teresa, who is supposed to be working for the Slavitts as an educational advocate on Danny’s behalf, falters after a while. She ignores deadlines for submitting paperwork and getting Danny services he needs. Teresa is more interested in skewing her success numbers, working the “easy” cases rather than the difficult ones. It becomes abundantly clear through Queen for a Day that parents of autistic children are often grasping at straws – not knowing who they can trust; who can help, or who they can safely use as a sounding board.
Please feel free to join us on Sept. 19 in person or via Zoom. The Dorothy Kaplan Book Discussion Group meets on the third Thursday of every month at 1 p.m. New members are always welcome.
The Group receives administrative support from the Community Engagement & Education arm of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. For information about the group and to join in the discussion, contact Shirly Banner at 402.334.6462 or sbanner@jewishomaha.org
Tri-Faith Initiative appoints Interim Executive Director
RICK MACINNES
Tri-Faith Initiative Board of Directors
Chair
On behalf of the Tri-Faith Initiative Board of Directors, I am pleased to announce that Catherine Demes Maydew, CPA, MBA, has been appointed as the Interim Executive Director during our leadership transition.
Catherine, a partner with Creative Planning in the Omaha area, brings over 20 years of experience in financial consulting and nonprofit work. She has been the firm’s Director of Public Services for more than four years and previously ran her own consulting firm in Omaha for over 17 years, serving local nonprofits and government organizations.
Catherine’s extensive background includes roles as a board member, finance and development professional and executive director. She has also been an adjunct professor
HEIDI HEILBRUNN NEEDLEMAN
Assistant Director of Engagement & Education, JFO
Gather at the Jewish Federation of Omaha for a virtual Community One Read in Honor of Dr. Ruth and her final book, The Joy of Connections. On Tuesday, Sept. 24 at noon in Goldstein South, tune into a conversation featuring the book’s coauthor Allison Gilbert and psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb. Dr. Ruth Westheimer’s book, The Joy of Connections, is considered a guidebook that offers real-life strategies to overcoming loneliness and fostering connections. In her ultimate book trusted sex-therapist Dr. Ruth offers her unique approach to increasing connectivity through social interactions.
Co-author Allison Gilbert, is an Emmy Award-winning jounalist and speaker who focuses on managing grief and loss while strengthening connections. Gilbert writes regularly for The New York Times, has been interviewed on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and NPR. She has also presented hundreds of talks for audiences in person. Gilbert has authored numerous books and hosts a monthly series with Reimagine called, Making Connections, about overcoming loneliness.
During the Jewish Book Council program, Allison Gilbert
at UNO, teaching nonprofit and government accounting. Additionally, Catherine is an active member of St. John’s Greek Orthodox Church, where she serves on the Parish Council as treasurer.
Catherine began her role with the TriFaith Initiative on August 27 and is dedicated to steering us through a cohesive transition period. She states, “My role with the Tri-Faith Initiative is to help guide the organization through a thoughtful transition process that prepares us for a stronger future. Together, we will identify and implement capacity-building efforts to lay a solid foundation for the next executive director.”
We are excited to benefit from Catherine’s expertise in business structure, strategic planning, financial management, board training, and succession planning. For any inquiries, Catherine can be reached at cmaydew@trifaith.org
will join Lori Gottlieb, a psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
In addition to her clinical practice, she co-hosts the Dear Therapists podcast and writes The Atlantic’s Dear Therapist advice column. She is considered an expert on The Today Show Good Morning Ameica, CBS This Morning, CNN, and NPR’s Fresh Air. Her 2019 TED Talk was one of the Top 10 Most Watched of the Year. Join the Jewish Federation of Omaha as we zoom this heartfelt conversation together. No reservations are required and light refreshments will be served.
Catherine Demes Maydew
KELLAH HOME CARE
The Passion of Caregiving
402-706-6894 www.kellahhomecare.com
If you experience antisemitism, there are ways to report an incident or hate crime:
IF THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, MOVE TO A SAFE AREA AND DIAL 9-1-1
CALL the JFO’s Safety and Security Team 402-334-6446
EMAIL JCRCreporting@jewishomaha.org
SCAN the QR code below to fill out the Incident Reporting Form
Vegas Concierge
HAL SENAL
As defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a mensch is simply “a person of integrity and honor.”
To wit, before the reader even turns to the first page of Vegas Concierge, an eye-opening and harrowing new book, spanning a decade in the world of sex trafficking, one single, indisputable truth emerges: the author of the book, Brian Joseph, is a true mensch.
Now, having known Mr. Joseph over the course of the last three decades, and after catching up with him recently to discuss his forthcoming book, it’s clear that the guy has not changed one iota. And that’s a good thing!
He is still a sweet, empathetic, and down-to-earth individual; someone who wants to right wrongs and make a difference.
And during these trying times, ladies and gents, that is not nothing.
The Dedication page alone tells the reader all they need to know about their tour guide for this dark journey into the razor-sharp world of sex trafficking:
“For sex trafficking victims and survivors everywhere it might not seem like it, but some people do care.”
And from that point on, as the reader continues down a dark road, a once-dim light shines brightly on both the banality and cruelty of evil, especially on how structured and organized it is. By the end, it occurred to the reader that this isn’t some lurid exposé – it’s a call to action.
“This was an issue that was important enough for me to lay it on the line,” explained Joseph. “So, to speak in Vegas terms, I felt like this was something where it was important to go all in.”
Joseph is no stranger to investigative journalism. For nearly
Teddy Weinberger
We work directly with law enforcement, Secure Communities Network, and the Anti-Defamation League.
If you see something, say something.
Continued from page 4 ceremony. As with the other blessings to follow, the couple here chose to use much of the traditional wording, and it was thus recited by David: “Blessed are you, O God, the King of the world, who sanctified us with his commandments and commanded us to love faithfully, and forbade us what is not ours and allowed us to enter into bonds of love and choice, blessed are you, O God, who sanctifies his people Israel through the huppah and kiddushin [the rites of marriage].”
Before they exchanged rings, Shir and Rebecca spoke about their love for each other. Shir spoke first, saying (in part):
“From the moment we started spending time together, I realized that I want to be in your company always, and somehow I couldn’t see my life without you. You make me laugh until my stomach hurts; you move me every day anew with the notes you leave me in the morning, and with the hot meals waiting for me when I return after a busy day. You are my comfort in life, my light, the strength that fills me and strengthens me every day. Our life is a crazy journey, a journey full of exciting adventures, where every day is a new chapter in our shared story. This is a journey where together we will create memories and turn every moment into an unforgettable experience. My heart is happy that I get to live by your side; you are my other half, and I just can’t believe that out of all the people in the world you chose me.”
two decades, he has been writing for the Las Vegas ReviewJournal, the Orange County Register, and the Sacramento Bee, among many other publications.
Now, for many, this will be a tough book to get through: Joseph pulls no punches. He doesn’t shy away from the horrors that these marginalized victims face; the pimps and other brutalizers behind it, as well as members of law enforcement put in charge to investigate these criminal organizations.
“I certainly don’t claim that it’s a light read,” said Joseph. “I mean, it’s written in such a way that’s, hopefully, easy to absorb. It’s not too complex for people to understand. But certainly, the topic matter, and the scenes [in the book], can be quite graphic.”
Historically, as the book outlines, members of US law enforcement had previously looked at prostitution as a “nuisance to manage, a quality-of-life crime, like panhandling or graffiti, rather than something far more serious, like domestic violence or sexual assault.”
Additionally, Joseph spoke about how, in many ways, it wasn’t so difficult to relate to victims of trafficking.
“I talk about this in the epilogue, but in a way I can relate to victims and survivors of trafficking,” said Joseph. “I mean, I just have a real [big] heart for what they go through, and what society does for them, and what it doesn’t do for them.”
Despite the dark territory that the book explores, the experience has been a rewarding one for Joseph.
“For sure, this whole process has been professionally gratifying,” exclaimed Joseph. “But it’s also a chance for me to grow personally. It’s offered a lot of opportunities for personal growth.”
See? Told you he was a mensch.
nection. I always really wished for true love, like everyone else. I always imagined what it would look like, and I believed that I would find it too. But I didn’t really think that I would deserve something so crazy, something that you feel in your heartbeat, something big and powerful, with meaning and real depth. I am excited to get up with you every morning, to fulfill together with you all the dreams we have and will have.”
The wedding ceremony ended with the traditional “Seven Blessings,” using almost all of the traditional wording. And there was a lovely solution for how to end the sixth and seventh blessings, which each (traditionally) blesses God
“who makes the groom and bride happy.” Here is how the sixth blessing was formulated:
“Grant abundant joy to these loving friends, as You caused your creatures to delight in the Garden of Eden of old. Blessed are you God who makes brides happy together.”
Yiddish has a wonderful word, bashert, for the person who is your destiny, who completes you, who is your other half, the person you are meant to be with if you are to lead a happy, rich, meaningful life. Listening to Shir and Rebecca speak of their love for one another, it was clear that each had found the person they were fated to find. Mazal Tov!
Shir then presented Rebecca with a ring and said to her: “You are sacred to me, with this ring, to be my life partner, to live a life of friendship, trust, joy, and love.”
Now it was Rebecca’s turn. Before giving Shir a ring and reciting the identical sanctifying declaration, Rebecca said (in part): “Just like in the movies, we fell in love to the depths of our souls. I wish every person on our planet to feel and experience the magical and unforgettable moments of the beginning, the butterflies in the stomach, and the knowledge that this is it, that I found the one my soul loved. I knew it would pay off for me to wait and not compromise on what was always most important to me: the inner feeling of love and con-
Teddy Weinberger, Ph.D., made aliyah with his wife, former Omahan Sarah Jane Ross, and their five children, Nathan, Rebecca, Ruthie, Ezra, and Elie, all of whom are veterans of the Israeli Defense Forces; Weinberger can be reached at weinross@gmail.com.
Brian Joseph
Above and below: Thank you to the Jewish Community Relations Council - Omaha for hosting a special screening of the HBO documentary A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting
Right: A huge thank you to Rabbi Geiger and Rav Eitan for putting together a kickoff meal for the teens of Beth Israel! The teens talked about the potential for the Jewish Community and all the assistance that they can offer. Hopefully there will be many more productive meetings in the future like this one!
Above left and above: Some of
Left: Physical activity is important. That’s why Friedel Jewish Academy students have physical education twice each week. Elementary schoolers have gym class and swimming. Middle school students also have gym class. Their second P.E. class alternates between swimming and personal fitness, which provides workouts and instruction aimed at building lifelong exercise habits.
SP O TLIGHT
PHOTOS FROM RECENT JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS
SUBMIT A PHOTO: Have a photo of a recent Jewish Community event you would like to submit? Email the image and a suggested caption to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org
GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY
Below: RBJH learned the process of making beer with Volunteer Brewmaster Bill Cain. We learned everything you need to know about beer, which was educational, fun, and scientific. The RBJH Men’s Club came up with four possible names for the new brew, and Residents and staff voted on the best name. Hop Sings, Mazel Hops, Simcha Suds, and Tov Taps were potential names. The winner of the RBJH Beer is... drum roll please.... Mazel Hops! In a few weeks, we will sample the brew with delicious beer food to accompany the RBJH American wheat beer Mazel Hops! A special shout out to Sabine Strong, Volunteer Coordinator, for handling every detail of this project and getting the Brewmeister Bill Cain.
Above and below: First- and second-graders learned about Lizzie the Lizard during Science. She’s a green anole lizard.
Top, above and below: Our Early Learning Students are back to the regular school schedule after a fun and wild summer!
the places Senator Deb Fischer toured on our Staenberg Kooper Fellman Campus were Friedel Jewish Academy, the Rose Blumkin Jewish Home and the Milton Mendel and Marsha Kleinberg Omaha Jewish Heritage Center.
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How dare they
ANNETTE VAN DE KAMP-WRIGHT
Jewish Press Editor
My inbox is filling up with messages about the situation on college campuses. With two kids in college, I can’t help but feel anxious. Some of the leadership tries to do the right thing, while many others fall short. Take Maryland, for example:
“Jewish campus groups and parents are criticizing a reported decision by the University of Maryland,” Andrew Lapin wrote for the Jewish telegraphic Agency, “allowing a pro-Palestinian group to hold a rally on campus on Oct. 7, the oneyear anniversary of the Hamas attacks in Israel. The permit was given to Students for Justice in Palestine, according to the campus Hillel and Jewish Student Union. The SJP chapter confirmed to the Washington Post that it was planning an action on McKeldin Mall, the College Park campus’s main green, for Oct. 7. The university declined to comment by press time on Friday, August 30.”
Then, on Tuesday, September 3, the AntiDefamation League announced: “Following significant pushback from UMD Hillel and the greater Jewish community, including ADL expressing concerns, the University of Maryland reversed its decision to allow an anti-Israel protest on the first anniversary of the 10/7 massacre. This decision was made for the entire University System of Maryland schools.”
As I’m writing this, it’s September 4, and this morning, protests took place outside the gates of Columbia University.
“The protest included members of Columbia Uni-
Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole.
versity Apartheid Divest — the same group that used a recent convocation event to distribute flyers that feature a Hamas fighter, urge readers to “reject normalization of the Zionist entity” and outline the group’s objectives on a page titled “Islamic Resistance Movement — Hamas.” (ADL)
Red paint was dumped on the Alma Mater statue,
two protesters were arrested. And at NYU, “Members of the New York University Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine are reportedly withholding various forms of labor as of Monday, demanding the University grant amnesty to anti-Israel protesters disciplined since last spring, among other demands,” said the ADL. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Part of the reason I don’t know what to say to my children is that my university days were divided between working hard, and partying hard. Brutal coursework (accompanied by all-nighters) was fol-
lowed by even more brutal exams. We didn’t spend hours studying in the library, we spent weeks. We all had jobs. But then there was dancing, dinners, music festivals and spontaneous trips. We all had free public transportation cards, so we could go anywhere. Protesting? No one had time for that. I struggle with the notion that people can be in the privileged position of being a college student (because it is absolutely a privilege) and yet not focus on actually learning anything. I want to tell the students: go to class. I want to tell the professors: do what you are here for. Increase their knowledge, help them grow and develop. And if you think that your poor judgment is worth it to “withhold your labor” then maybe you should lose your job. And I feel for today’s college students, who live in a completely different world than we did in the 1990s.
And then I think about Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was only 23 years old. Eden Yerushalmi, who was 24. Ori Danino, 25. Almog Sarusi, 27. Alex Lubnov, 33. Carmel Gat, 40. May their memories be for a blessing.
I wonder: do any of these protesters know how our hearts are broken, crumbled, how they are wasting their lives while others lie buried? While 60 hostages are still being held? How dare they wrap their kefiyahs around their faces, hide from the cameras, while standing on the wrong side of history?
These six names are the latest on a long list. They deserved better. Their families deserved better. We all do.
In Hersh’s grieving mother, we see our matriarch
RABBI MENACHEM CREDITOR JTA
The ancient words of the prophet Jeremiah haunt my soul today:
A cry is heard in Ramah. Wailing, bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children.She refuses to be comforted for her children, who are gone.
This biblical verse resonates with Rachel the matriarch’s timeless grief as she weeps for her children, for the pain of exile and the fear of annihilation, refusing comfort until her precious ones are back in her arms. And while her fierce tears are the tears of every parent whose child is lost to the cruelty of the world, their heightened, tragic resonance today is tribal and visceral for Jews all around the world, united in anguish as Rachel weeps once more, as our hearts are shattered yet again.
Another Rachel has more recently gripped us with the grief of a bereft Jewish mother. Rachel GoldbergPolin and her husband Jonathan Polin have demonstrated the epitome of both parental love and parental pain in truly biblical proportions for their beloved son, Hersh, who was taken hostage on Oct. 7 from the Nova Music Festival in southern Israel. They were indefatigable and omnipresent for 330 days, speaking and shouting and crying and praying on every platform in every corner of the world.
Just days ago, Rachel and Jonathan, along with many family members of hostages still trapped by Hamas, traveled to the border of Gaza to call out to their loved ones through giant speakers, crying from the deepest part of them to the deepest recesses of Hamas’ labyrinth of underground tunnels. Rachel cried out, “It’s Mama,” praying her son would hear her voice again, sending Hersh other biblical words, the priestly blessing of protection and peace. But just yesterday, we learned that Hersh had been murdered by his terrorist captors at perhaps the very same moment. It is too much to bear. In the ancient world, there was a practice called yelala, a wailing for the dead. Paid mourners would go to funerals to evoke the tears of the bereaved, to break through the composed and collected facades people often maintained in public. When I heard Rachel scream Hersh’s name, something in me broke again. Today’s parallels with ancient Jewish trauma are overwhelming. In the face of this new and even more
horrifying reality, with 97 hostages still trapped in Gaza, many of whom are already dead, even the Bible falls short. The very next verse in Jeremiah reads: Thus said God: restrain your voice from weeping, Your eyes from shedding tears; For there is a reward for your efforts — declares God: They shall return from the enemy’s land.
But the violation of Israel’s borders and of Jewish dignity, the inhumanity of Hamas’ murderous rampage, the sexual violence against women and men, the slaughtering of whole families, the stealing of grandparents and babies from their homes, and now the brutal execution of defenseless hostages all mean that any prophesied return or reward for the unceasing efforts of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and its many allies will forever be partial.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Carmel Gat, Almog Sarusi, Alex Lubanov, and Ori Danino were discovered murdered on Saturday. They will not return home alive.
Why does Hersh’s death hit so hard, for many of us as intensely as the horror of Oct. 7 itself? Because the pain has come true once again and the hope has not. Because Rachel and Jonathan did the impossible for their son and it didn’t save him. They met with the pope and the president, heads of state around the world and youth groups traveling to Israel over the summer. They inspired countless others to take on a daily ritual, of wearing a piece of masking tape tattooed with the day’s horrid number since Oct. 7. Why do we feel this loss so very deeply? Because
Jonathan and Rachel — and Hersh and Eden and Carmel and Almog and Alex and Ori are me. They’re you. They’re your children. Taken from our arms, from their cribs, from their kibbutzim, from their homes. Are these the only tears that have been shed? No. But they are our tears, and they have flowed with no end these last 331 days.
Echoes of Rachel’s cry — both Rachel Imeinu’s and Rachel Goldberg-Polin’s — reverberate through the streets of Israel, and in Jewish communities spanning the globe. And our shattered hearts and hot tears will not be restrained, not by biblical command, not by empty rhetoric, not even by crowds of grieving, compassionate others. These ancient modern tears command us to stand with Rachel, to refuse to be comforted by platitudes and empty promises, to demand justice, to work tirelessly to bring the rest of the Hostages home, and to settle for nothing less than a world where no mother has to cry out for her child. All of this leads to heart-rending silence and soulsplitting cries. My own rambling words spilled out: i dreamt I was dreaming that a crying sky was imagined that rachel’s cry could still be heard that comfort would still be possible.
i woke
to my People’s shattered heart and photos of six precious Jewish children whose cries are no longer heard. may their souls finally be at rest. i walk through a haze my mind races my heart cries rachel, rachel, crying for her child. i cry with you.
As long as any Rachel weeps, our work is not done. We must continue to be her voice, her hands, her hope, building a future where the promise of return and safety is fulfilled for those still in darkness. May the memory of Hersh, and all those lost on and since Oct. 7, 2023, be a blessing. May their names be inscribed in the book of life, and may we be worthy of the task of bringing the rest of Rachel’s children home.
Rabbi Menachem Creditor is the scholar in residence of UJA-Federation New York and the founder of Rabbis Against Gun Violence.
Rachel Goldberg stands with her husband as hostage families address Gaza via loudspeaker from Nirim, Israel, Aug. 29, 2024 Credit: Amir Levy/Getty Images
Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Credit: Jon Polin
Our collective, endless grief is an expression of love, and our most powerful weapon
DR. MIJAL BITTON
When I was a little girl, my teacher told us about an ancient Jewish tradition — a story of a miraculous goblet that God keeps in the heavens, a tear catcher. It is said to be so delicate, yet so powerful, that it can hold the tears of our entire Jewish people, across time and space. She told us that every tear shed by our ancestors, every cry of pain and yearning for redemption, is lovingly gathered by God. And that one day, when the goblet overflows with our collective pain, the Messiah will finally come.
As I grew older, this story resonated with me less and less. It felt like a relic of a faith that valorizes suffering without truly confronting it. It didn’t fit with the God I was yearning to know — a God who could bear the weight of my anger on behalf of my people, a God who welcomes the raw edges of our pain, the offerings of our broken hearts.
But since Oct. 7, I find myself returning to that image of the tear-catching goblet. Every time my heart aches with grief, every time the tears come too easily, when the pain feels unbearable, I yearn for that goblet.
I know that my tears are just among the many that our Jewish family around the world have been shedding since that day. So many of our brothers and sisters in Israel are in the eye of the storm — bleeding, losing loved ones, mourning personal pain, going into battle, enduring the worst cruelty imaginable in captivity. The rest of us — the collective Jewish people around the world — still feel their loss as if it were our own. This pain isn’t distant; it’s ours.
And that’s why my heart keeps conjuring up a celestial, bottomless goblet capturing our tears. I keep thinking about all the tears and prayers, the desperate supplications, the begging, the fervent psalms, the praying so many have done with their feet, their wallets, their activism, with every fiber of their being. Where do all our tears go? Where does all that love go? We are a tiny people, and yet we feel so much. What happens to the tears we shed for Carmel, for Hersh, for Ori, for Alex, for Eden, for Almog — the six hostages whose bodies were recovered in the Gaza Strip last week? For all those killed, taken hostage, or wounded? What becomes of all the begging, all the bargains with God? Is there some sort of cosmic goblet that holds our collective Jewish pain?
The news of the past few days has brought so many of us back to the pain of those weeks following Oct. 7, when we were in the haze of hurt. Remember those days before the numbness set in? Before we started focusing on every new outrage in the news cycle, when we were simply horrified? We’ve endured countless losses of soldiers and other hostages since that dark Shabbat, and each one hurts deeply — but
something about this news struck a nerve, intensifying the accumulated grief of our people, breaking through the fog. I slept little the night we got the bitter news, and in the morning, I wondered what to tell my children. I decided to share with them the news about the hostages who were murdered , even though my children are young. I knew that if we lived in Israel, I wouldn’t have been able to shield them, and I felt that, as a Jewish mother, this is one of the talks that even as children they need to hear. My children, of course, knew about the hostages. They had prayed for them with me. They wore
hostage necklaces. They had held up hostage posters at many of the awareness walks we had done.I didn’t tell them much about the horror — the 330 days in captivity, the callous murder, the desperate knowledge that we were so close to them and saving them, the way this tragedy seemed poised to bring our Israeli people back to the brink of civil war. I just explained why I was sad and said that it was a sad day for all of us.
My 4-year-old daughter, seated on my lap, listened carefully and looked at me with those serious eyes. “Is Hashem on their team?” she asked. I asked her to explain. “Is Hashem on the Jewish people’s team?” she clarified. My heart broke as I realized that my daughter was asking her own version of “why?’ How could this happen? How could a people who loved each other so deeply be experiencing this?
My daughter asked the same question we are all crying out right now — the question at the core of our pain. How could Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s parents, who loved him so fiercely, who shook the foundations of heaven and earth to free him, not get to hold their sweet boy again? How could Ori Danino, who escaped the hell of Nova but went back to save others, not make it back himself? How could Alex Lobanov, whose wife gave birth to their second child while he was in captivity, documenting each new moment of life to share with him, be
killed just miles away from his new baby? How could Almog Sarusi, who had already experienced the agony of seeing his girlfriend murdered at Nova, suffer even more? How could Carmel Gat, with her laughing brown eyes, who cared for the hostage children and taught them yoga to help pass the time, be taken from us? How could Eden Yerushalmi, who hid for four hours from monsters at Nova in a shrub and begged her family in her last words to save her, not be saved?
These questions live in the deep pain we feel. It’s not that we don’t know who is to blame — there is so much evil, guilt and complicity. We know it was the Hamas monsters who kidnapped, ravaged, tortured and killed. We know they are supported by Iran’s axis of evil. We know they have been emboldened by too many in the West who refuse to condemn their so-called resistance, by those who have made the simple act of holding up a poster of a hostage outside of Israel feel like a stand — one that could be met with hate. We know that there is a toxic lack of trust within Israeli society and politics, to the point where too many doubt whether Israel’s government did all it could to save the hostages.
But none of this takes away the questions. None of this takes away the pain. What happens to our tears? What happens to our pain, our heartbreak? How could it not save them?
I dare not offer up answers while the latest graves are fresh, while 101 hostages are still in Gaza. The pain is too raw. We dare not lean into platitudes when all we can do is sit with our grief and embrace the silence that follows such loss. We must explain nothing and instead focus on where we can be of service, channeling our heartbreak into action — supporting the hostage families, advocating, and strengthening the bonds that unite the Jewish people. Now is the time to build trust and hold each other close. Our enemies are still at our door.
And as for the goblet, the tear catcher — while I’ve let go of my teacher’s certainty that there’s a rim, that every tear could be the one to break the dam and bring the Messiah — these past few months have convinced me that there is a goblet catching our pain up in the heavens. Our tears are filling a massive divine chalice, some sort of miraculous container that is holding the immensity of our collective pain. Every tear of our collective grief is an expression of love. It’s an expression of solidarity, an expression of how deeply connected we are as a people. And that’s precious. That’s our most potent weapon. That’s the place where hope will grow again.
Dr. Mijal Bitton is the Rosh Kehillah of the Downtown Minyan and scholar in residence at the Maimonides Fund. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.
From Rachel Goldberg-Polin, we all heard the piercing cry of Jewish motherhood
MEG KEENE
JTA
Late Aug. 31, after Shabbat was over, my texts lit up with messages from other Jewish mothers. Like every night for the past 330 days, we were all holding each other up. A grieving mass of women, bodies that brought Jewish souls to earth. My messages were from Australia, Israel and New Jersey, from Los Angeles and nearby in Berkeley. They said one thing, over and over:
Hersh.
Hersh.
Hersh.
As more news broke the names piled up: Eden, Eden, Eden. Carmel, Carmel, Carmel. Almog, Almog, Almog. Alex, Alex, Alex. Ori, Ori, Ori.
We were adrift in a sea of pain. We were checking our children’s sleeping faces, kissing them, reminding ourselves that right now in this moment, they were here with us. But knowing, in a way that we’ll never be able to unsee, that the world turned their back as Jews died.
And then we learned that the six hostages were executed in cold blood. That they’d survived more than 300 days of hell, only to face the cold terror of evil and death alone.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin was one of too many. He was a 23year-old American-Israeli civilian, and became one of the faces of the movement to bring the hostages home. He was American — young, vibrant, kind, full of life, hopeful for peace. But he also had a quintessentially Jewish mother, a woman named for a matriarch — one who did the impossible, the unimaginable.
Rachel Goldberg-Polin got up every morning, not knowing if her son was alive or dead, and fought. She recited the priestly benediction for her son after she woke. She met with world leaders. She put a piece of masking tape on her chest each morning, counting the days he’d been gone. She asked all of us to speak up, to care, to not give in to hate, to fight for love.
When I was pregnant the first time, I imagined having a girl. I’d grown up in a house full of girls, and I’d always surrounded myself with other women. I understood being a daughter, and having one was easy to imagine. I was laying on the table in the exam room when I found out we were having a boy, and my eyes filled with tears. I didn’t know what it would be like
to have a son; I didn’t have a way to comprehend it. My husband leaned over to me, grabbed my hand, wiped my face and told me, “Sons are special. For them, the sun rises and sets in their mothers eyes.” Then he laughed and said, “For Jewish boys, that goes double.”
He was right. We have two beautiful children who I love with my whole heart. My daughter is brave and ferocious, my tiny mirror. But since the moment he was born, my son has been devoted. He would go to the ends of the earth for me, and I for him. Like a good Jew, he ends every day with an argument, saying, “I love you more than you’ll ever love me. Even though
you don’t believe it, I’m right.”
For 330 days, we witnessed Rachel Goldberg-Polin show the world the love between a Jewish mother and son. We saw her break down at the Democratic National Convention, but then stand up again and speak. Just this week we saw her scream her son’s name, voice breaking on the Gaza border. “Hersh,” she yelled, the pain clawing out of her chest, “It’s Mama.” We now know that those hours were likely some of his last. As his time was ending on this earth, what we heard was a mother’s love crying out.
A matriarch. A force. A lioness. A Jewish mother.
Tonight I will push my children’s hair off their faces in bed, smother them with kisses and know that my job in this world is to keep them safe, know that while much of the world may have turned their back on us, our tribe, our people, are always with us.
I will pray for peace. For them. For all of Israel. For all who mourn in Zion. For the world. For Rachel and Jon. For the family members of all of the hostages, living and dead. And for every Jewish mother in the world, fighting to keep her head above the gray sea of despair. Knowing that to the very last, we have each other.
And then I will go back to my own bed, and my texts will light up, with messages from other Jewish mothers, spread out all over the world. “How are you?” they will say. “How did you get through the day? How will you get through tomorrow?” And the answer will be the same as it’s been every day since Oct. 7, every day since Sinai.
Together.
Meg Keene is a bestselling author and novelist. She founded the groundbreaking online publication A Practical Wedding. She currently resides in Northern California, with her husband and two kids.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.
Credit: Getty Images
Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7, poses for a photo next to a poster of her son during an interview in Jerusalem, May 29, 2024. Credit: Ahikam Seri/AFP via Getty Images
Synagogues
B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE
618 Mynster Street Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766
712.322.4705 www.cblhs.org
BETH EL SYNAGOGUE
Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism 14506 California Street Omaha, NE 68154-1980
402.492.8550 bethel-omaha.org
BETH ISRAEL
SYNAGOGUE
Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America 12604 Pacific Street Omaha, NE. 68154
402.556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org
CHABAD HOUSE
An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch 1866 South 120 Street Omaha, NE 68144-1646
402.330.1800 OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY:
B’NAI JESHURUN
South Street Temple
Union for Reform Judaism
2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502-2797
402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org
OFFUTT AIR
FORCE BASE
Capehart Chapel 2500 Capehart Road Offutt AFB, NE 68123
402.294.6244 email: oafbjsll@icloud.com
TEMPLE ISRAEL
Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive Omaha, NE 68144-1206
402.556.6536 templeisraelomaha.com
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY:
TIFERETH ISRAEL
Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 3219 Sheridan Boulevard Lincoln, NE 68502-5236 402.423.8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org
Monthly Speaker Series Service, Friday, Sept. 13, 7:30 p.m. with our guest speakers, Carole and Wayne Lainof with a presentation on their recent trip to Israel. Welcome back our service leader is Larry Blass. Everyone is always welcome at B’nai Israel!
For information about our historic synagogue, please visit our website at www.cblhs.org or contact any of our other board members: Renee Corcoran, Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Howard Kutler, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Ann Moshman, MaryBeth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber. Handicap Accessible.
Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.
IN-PERSON AND ZOOM MINYAN SCHEDULE:
Mornings on Sundays, 9:30 a.m.; Mondays and Thursdays 7 a.m.; Evenings on Sunday-Thursday 5:30 p.m.
FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.
SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service and Bar Mitzvah of Sam Bryan, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Jr. Congregation (Grades K-12), 10 a.m.; Havdalah 8:10 p.m. Zoom only.
SUNDAY: BESTT (Grades K-7), 9:30 a.m.; A Journey through the Shabbat Siddur, 10:30 a.m. with Hazzan Krausman; Hands-On Judaism, 11:15 a.m. with Hazzan Krausman.
MONDAY: Board of Trustees Meeting 7 p.m.
TUESDAY: Mishneh Torah, 10:30 a.m.; Guest Speaker Noah Feldman, 6 p.m.
WEDNESDAY: BESTT (Grades 3-7), 4 p.m.; Hebrew High (Grades 8-12), 7 p.m.
THURSDAY: PJP Eretz Yisrael Zoom Series — Joshua Shanes, 7:30 p.m.
FRIDAY-Sept. 20: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.
SATURDAY-Sept. 21: Shabbat Morning Service and Bar Mitzvah of Max Gordon, 10 a.m. at Beth El & Live Stream; Jr. Congregation (Grades K-12), 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 7:55 p.m. Zoom only.
Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.
FRIDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 7 p.m.; Candlelighting, 7:18 p.m.
SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class 10:45 a.m.; Tehillim, 6:20 p.m. at the Zivs; Soulful Torah, 6:15 p.m. with Rabbi Geiger; Mincha 7 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity, 7:30 p.m.; Havdalah, 8:16 p.m.
SUNDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Kinyan, 9:40 a.m.; 75th Anniversary Dinner 5 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv 7:20 p.m.
MONDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv 7:20 p.m.
TUESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Kinyan, 6:45 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:20 p.m.
WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7
a.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv, 7:20 p.m.
THURSDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Character Development, 9:30 a.m.; Kinyan, 6:45 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:20 p.m.; Parsha Class, 7:30
p.m.
FRIDAY-Sept. 20: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 7 p.m.; Candlelighting, 7:06 p.m.
SATURDAY-Sept. 21: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat 10:30 a.m.; Youth Class 10:45 a.m.; Tehillim, 5:55 p.m. at the Zivs; Soulful Torah, 6:05 p.m. with Rabbi Geiger; Mincha, 6:50 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity 7:20 p.m.; Havdalah, 8:03 p.m.
Please visit orthodoxomaha.org for additional information and Zoom service links.
All services are in-person. All classes are being offered in-person and via Zoom (ochabad.com/academy). For more information or to request help, please visit www.ochabad.com or call the office at 402.330.1800.
FRIDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: Ochabad.com/ Lechayim; Omaha Young Professionals Shabbat Dinner; Candlelighting, 7:17 p.m.
SATURDAY: Shacharit 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 8:15 p.m.
SUNDAY: Sunday Morning Wraps: Shacharit, 99:30 a.m., Video Presentation, 9:30 a.m. and Breakfast, 9:45 a.m.
MONDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Personal Parsha, 9:30 a.m.; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Translating Words of Prayer, 7 p.m. with David Cohen.
TUESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Translating Words of Prayer, 11 a.m. with David Cohen; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 7 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen.
WEDNESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Mystical Thinking (Tanya), 9:30 a.m.; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 11:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen.
THURSDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Introduction to Alaphabet, Vowels & Reading Hebrew, 10 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study (Sanhedrin 34), noon; Introduction to Alphabet, Vowels & Reading Hebrew, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) Class, 7 p.m.; Comedy Night with The Sklar Brothers, 7 p.m. at Funny Bone Comedy Club, tickets available at ochabad.com/comedy
FRIDAY-Sept. 20: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: Ochaba d.com/Lechayim; Candlelighting, 7:05 p.m.
SATURDAY-Sept. 21: Shacharit 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 8:03 p.m.
LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL
Services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch. All services offered in-person with live-stream or teleconferencing options.
FRIDAY: Centennial Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex, 7-8 p.m. at SST; Shabbat Candlelighting, 7:31 p.m.
SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service with Rabbi Alex, 9:30-11 a.m. at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Ki Teitzei via Zoom; Potluck Dinner and Family Game Night, 6 p.m. at SST. Please bring a dish to share. All ages are welcome; Havdalah, 8:20 p.m.
SUNDAY: LJCS Classes, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at SST; Men’s Bike/Coffee Group, 10:30 a.m. at The Mill on the Innovation Campus. For more information or questions please email Al Weiss at albertw801@ gmail.com; Adult Ed Exploring High Holy Days #1, noon with Rabbi Alex at TI; Pickleball, 3-5 p.m. at TI. Anyone interested in playing or learning how to play can text Miriam at 402.470.2393. If there are enough interested people; we’ll play in the Social Hall.
WEDNESDAY: Men’s Lunch Group, 12:15 p.m. at Roberts Park (weather permitting). We meet every other Wednesday. Please contact albertw801@ gmail.com to get on the mailing list. As plans can change the last minute and it is necessary to contact everyone. Bring lunch, a drink and a chair; LJCS Hebrew School (Grades 3-7), 4:30-6 p.m. at SST.
THURSDAY: High Holidays Choir Rehearsal, 7-8:30 p.m. If you are interested in singing with the choir please contact our Music Director, Steven Kaup by email at MusicDirector@southstreettemple.org
FRIDAY-Sept. 20: Centennial Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex, 7-8 p.m. at SST; Shabbat Candlelighting, 7:08 p.m.
SATURDAY-Sept. 21: Shabbat Morning Service with Rabbi Alex, 9:30-11 a.m. at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Ki Tavo via Zoom; Improv: Occasionally Hilarious, 7 p.m. at SST; Havdalah, 8:05 p.m.
FRIDAYS: Virtual Shabbat Service, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month at Capehart Chapel. Contact TSgt Jason Rife at OAFBJSLL@icloud.com for more information.
In-person and virtual services conducted by Rabbi Benjamin Sharff, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin, and Cantor Joanna Alexander
FRIDAY: Drop in Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m. In-Person; Shabbat Shira Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.
SATURDAY: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. In-Person & Zoom.
SUNDAY: Grades PreK-7, 9:30 a.m. In-Person; Book Club, 10:30 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Kol Rina Rehearsal, noon In-Person.
TUESDAY: Kol Rina Rehearsal, 6 p.m. In-Person.
WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9 a.m.; Grades 3-6, 4:30 p.m. In-Person; Hebrew High: Grades 8-12, 6 p.m. In-Person.
THURSDAY: The Zohar: Thursday Morning Class 11 a.m. with Rabbi Sharff and Rabbi Azriel — In-Person & Zoom; Building Racial Stamina Cohort 4, 7 p.m. InPerson,
FRIDAY-Sept. 20: Drop in Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m. InPerson; Tot Shabbat, 5:45 p.m. In-Person; Classic Shabbat Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.
SATURDAY-Sept. 21: Torah Study, 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. InPerson & Zoom. Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.
Hapoel Jerusalem mourns Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s death
JACOB GURVIS
JTA
It’s not often that a professional sports team attends the funeral of one of its fans. But Hersh Goldberg-Polin was no ordinary fan.
Goldberg-Polin, the 23-year-old American-Israeli who was killed by Hamas after nearly a year in captivity, had become one of the faces of the “Bring Them Home Now” movement advocating for the release of the hostages. That’s in large part due to his parents, Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, who spent the past year traveling the world to mobilize
support for their cause.
But in Jerusalem, Goldberg-Polin, a California native with a deep love of soccer and travel, was largely known as one of the many dedicated fans of the Hapoel Jerusalem Football Club, which plays in Israel’s top-tier Premier League. He was a member of the Malha Brigade, the team’s official fan club.
“We awaken to a horrible day for the Hapoel Jerusalem community,” the club tweeted. “After nearly a year of crying out his name and praying for his safety, the mourning is unbearable, and words can’t begin to describe it.”
The message was one of countless shared by the team and its fans this weekend and throughout the past 11 months, as Goldberg-Polin became a symbol for the team itself: banners bearing his name and face, accompanied by messages like “Bring Hersh Home,” were commonplace at the team’s games.
At Goldberg-Polin’s funeral on Monday, fellow supporters of Hapoel Jerusalem turned out in large
numbers, wearing their red-and-black team paraphernalia. The team’s official social media accounts shared photos and videos in real-time from the procession and ceremony at Har Hamenuchot, Jerusalem’s largest cemetery.
Two days earlier — before the news broke of Goldberg-Polin’s murder — as the team took the field Saturday for its first game of the new Premier League season, fans were greeted with a video message from Goldberg-Polin’s parents, who thanked the club for its support.
“Shalom, Hapoel fans and friends of Hersh,” Rachel Goldberg-Polin said in the video. “We, Hersh’s parents, thank you so much — for everything. Hapoel fans, players, owners, employees – everyone.”
Soon after, the news broke that Goldberg-Polin’s body had been found in an underground tunnel in Gaza. The deaths of five other Israeli hostages were reported the same day.
Read more at www.omahajewishpress.com.
B’NAI ISRAEL
BETH EL
BETH ISRAEL
CHABAD HOUSE
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, OBM.
A big week in Paris
JACOB GURVIS
JTA
While Israel endured a difficult week at home, its Paralympians in Paris gave their fellow Israelis something to celebrate. As of press time, Israel has won 10 medals — far behind China, which is leading with 184, but good for a place in the top 30 countries so far.
As Israel reeled from the murder of six hostages in Gaza, which spurred widespread protests and labor strikes, Israelis won a number of medals in rowing and swimming.
“We had in mind to give pride to the country,” said Israeli Paralympic rower Shahar Milfelder, who won her first career medal on Sunday September 1. “I cried in the morning from the hard news and now I cry from the good news and send the biggest hug I can to the families of the hostages and to all the citizens of the State of Israel.” Milfelder and her rowing partner, Saleh Shahin, took bronze in the PR2 mixed double sculls.
men’s 150-meter individual medley SM4 and bronze in the men’s 50-meter freestyle S4.
On Thursday Sept. 5, Israel’s women’s goalball team won silver, its first-ever medal in the sport. Goalball is a handball-style sport for athletes with vision impairment in which teams of three attempt to throw a ball embedded with bells into their opponents’ goal. Israel made its goalball debut at the 2016 Paralympics and had never made it to a medal match before.
And wheelchair tennis player Guy Sasson won bronze in quad singles, three months after he had won his first Grand Slam in the same stadium.
On the U.S. side, Jewish athletes Ezra Frech and Ian Seidenfeld took home medals this week. Frech, the 19-yearold track and field star, won gold medals on back-to-back days in the men’s 100-meter and the high jump, his first two career medals. Seidenfeld won bronze Sept. 5 in table tennis.
Also on September 1, four-time Paralympic rower Moran Samuel won her third career Paralympic medal and first-ever gold, in the PR1 women’s single sculls.
Swimmer Mark Malyar won bronze on August 31 in the men’s 100-meter backstroke S8, his fourth career medal. Ami Dadaon won three more medals to add to his gold from last week — gold in the men’s 200-meter freestyle S4, silver in the
While political demonstration is prohibited on the field of play at the Paralympics, subtler references such as hair accessories have not run afoul of the rules. Several members of the goalball team wore yellow ribbons in their hair during the semifinal match, a sign of solidarity with Israeli hostages, according to the Times of Israel. And during the Olympics last month, Israeli silver medalist judoka Inbar Lanir also wore a yellow scrunchie, telling an Israeli news outlet, “Those who understand it, will understand.”
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Israeli players during the goalball gold medal match between Israel and Turkey at the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games, Sept. 5, 2024, in Paris. Credit: Naomi Baker/Getty Images
JCRC Community Conversation with Rebecca Clarren
PAM MONSKY
JCRC Assistant Director
The Jewish Community Relations Council is proud to announce that journalist and award-winning author Rebecca Clarren is coming to Omaha for two programs on Sept. 18 and Sept. 19, 2024. The Community Conversation portion of the program on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. in the Shirley & Leonard Goldstein Community Venue at the Staenberg Jewish Community Center will focus on a conversation surrounding her latest book, The Cost of Free Land: Jews, Lakota and an American Inheritance
A blend of history, journalism and memoir, The Cost of Free Land investigates how 20thcentury federal policies that gave her ancestors - Jews fleeing oppression in Russia - free land on the South Dakota prairie and a pathway to the middle class, came at great cost to their Lakota neighbors. The book not only retells this entangled history but grapples with what can be done to reconcile the past. Rebecca is looking forward to her event and said, “I’m so thrilled to be returning to Omaha, the Paris of the Midwest, to connect with readers who are interested in celebrating and deepening their understanding of the Great Plains. I’ll be sharing stories about my ancestors, Jewish homesteaders on the South Dakota prairie, and revealing the fruits of my book research: how so many of the benefits the United States extended to my immigrant family came at great cost and harm to the
Lakota Nation. There are so many surprising and fascinating things I learned while working on The Cost of Free Land and I can’t wait to share them with your community.”
The evening will also include input from panelists Mikal Brotnov Eckstrom and Dr. Susana Geliga. Mr. Eckstrom is from the Nez Perce Reservation. He completed his doctorate in history from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2018, where he specialized in digital humanities methods and Indigenous history. Dr. Susana Geliga is an enrolled member of the Sicangu Lakota and is of Taino descent. She is an Assistant Professor of the Department of History and Native American Studies at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and is a co-director of the Genoa Indian School Digital Reconciliation Project at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
The following day, Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. in the Wiesman Reception Room at the JCC, is a brunch and learn, Beyond the Stolen Beam: an intimate study with Rebecca Clarren focused on Torah, Jewish ancestry and American history. Over the course of our Brunch and Learn, Clarren will lead class participants in discussion of ancient Jewish texts that offer guidance for repairing our broken world, teach readers how to research and write about their own families, including tips for how to do Jewish genealogy, anticipate challenging conversations and consider the white spaces that surround our classic family stories. For the final portion of this class, Clarren will share specific tools for how to find yourself in this American story of Native land dispossession: links to websites and organizations that can help reveal how your own family may have benefitted from American taking and theft of Indigenous land.
“Memorable... Fascinating... A deft mix of personal and social history that recounts the transfer of Native American lands to non-Indigenous settlers, including Jews fleeing antisemitic violence... [The Cost of Free Land], troubling and inspiring, seeks a humane path toward restitution.”—Kirkus (*starred review*)
Voted a Best Book of 2023 by Kirkus Reviews, The Jewish Forward Tribal College Journal, and The Christian Science Monitor and nominated for the 2024 Subbendieck Great Plains Book Prize, the High Plains Book Award, and Stanford University’s Saroyan Prize for International Writing Rebecca Clarren’s book, The Cost of Free Land is available from the Kripke-Veret Library and local book stores.
Community Conversations are possible thanks to our generous sponsors:
The Shirley and Leonard Goldstein Supporting Foundation, Anything Grants from the Staenberg Family Foundation, and the Special Donor Advised Fund of the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation.
Both programs are open to the entire community as well as members of Native tribes. Contact Pam Monsky, pmonsky@jewishom aha.org or 402.334.6572 for more information.
More about The Cost of Free Land: In the pages of The Cost of Free Land, Clarren not only retells the entangled histories of her Jewish homesteading ancestors and their Lakota neighbors of the South Dakota prairie. At the urging of Indigenous leaders, she spent several years studying her own Jewish culture with the aid of her rabbi, reading the Torah and the Talmud and the sermons of contemporary rabbis to understand how she as a Jew might grapple with this complicated American history. The hard lessons she learned are reflected in the pages of her book, and in our class, she’ll share some of the stories behind the story, things she gleaned from writing about her own family, her own culture that aren’t revealed in the book itself but that may help class participants consider their own family stories in a new light.
Rebecca Clarren